One Soul
by IchigoTheStray
Summary: Inuyasha is blinded during the search for the Shikon no Tama. Kagome cares for him and he wonders what his true feelings are.
1. The Monster

Hi there! I'm Ichigo and this is my crazy alter-ego Kaori!

Kaori: This is the original One Soul published two years ago on inuyasha. net, which apparently no longer exists. If you remember us, we'll finally be updating this story, but not just yet.

For those of you who haven't read our story before, here it is:

Kaori: We don't own Inuyasha!

* * *

_A golden-eyed hanyou.  
A beautiful miko sitting in a tree.  
A high school girl from the future.  
A vengeful wolf demon._

_Everything hangs in the balance._

* * *

"Inuyasha! Behind you!" 

"What? Aaaaah!" Inuyasha was flung into the air by a large tentacle. The stinging suction cups burned marks into his skin. He raised Tetsusaiga high and chopped off the end of the tentacle that clutched him. He fell to the ground with a thud. The severed tentacle writhed on the dry ground. "Okay, now I'm really mad!"

The tentacle belonged to a monster squid that had risen out of a lake. Sango flung her boomerang at the gelatinous giant. It struck its mark and returned to its master's hand. This seemed to do nothing but further anger the monstrous foe.

Kagome let her arrow fly. The shining head struck the squid's eye. It writhed and squirmed in the water, spewing its dark ink everywhere.

"Kagome! Where is the jewel shard?" Inuyasha yelled.

Kagome scanned the monster for the gleam of the jewel shard. "It's in the head!" she shouted.

Inuyasha leapt into the air and raised Tetsusaiga for the kill. He brought the sword down on the monster's head. Inuyasha caught the shard in his clawed hand and landed on the ground. The monster fell into the water and began to sink. "Good work, Kagome," he said.

"Is everyone all right?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, we're fine," Miroku said. Inuyasha nodded.

"Good," said Kagome. Suddenly a roaring splash attracted their attention. The monster had reared back to life. With a mighty swell, the squid sprayed its last reserve of ink into Inuyasha's eyes. The squid then crashed down onto the land.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed.

"Is it dead?" Sango asked.

"I'm not taking any chances," Miroku said. "Everyone out of the way!"

Kagome and Shippou helped Inuyasha out of the way of danger as Miroku removed the prayer beads on his right hand. "Wind tunnel!" Miroku yelled. A great wind roared as the giant squid was sucked into the small hole in Miroku's hand. Miroku closed his fist and quickly wrapped the prayer beads around it.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha, please open your eyes!"

Inuyasha had his back to a tree. He was shaking his head, rubbing fitfully at his eyes with the heels of his hands. He tried to open his eyes, but they stung like mad and he couldn't force them to open.

His friends bent over him. "Can you hear me, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"Of course I can hear you," Inuyasha said angrily. "There's nothing wrong with my ears."

"I think we passed an empty cabin not too long ago," Shippou pointed out.

"Inuyasha, we're going to take you to a cabin," Miroku said.

"I told you, I can hear just fine. And no thanks, I can walk by myself," Inuyasha said. He stood up and promptly walked into a tree. He turned around and walked into another tree. Sango and Miroku tried not to laugh. Shippou didn't try at all.

Kagome took his arm. "Come this way." She led him away from the lake and back into the forest. "Watch your step, there are a lot of roots," Kagome said. "You have to duck here or you'll get clotheslined by a tree branch."

Step by step, Kagome led him back to the abandoned cabin. Sango and Miroku searched it first to be sure that it really was abandoned, and then Kagome led Inuyasha inside.

"There's a wall here," Kagome said. "You can take a seat." She was careful not to accidentally say the word 'sit' and make the situation worse.

"Do your eyes still hurt, Inuyasha?" Shippou asked.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, rubbing them with his palms again.

Kagome opened a bottle of spring water that was in her backpack. "Lie down," she said. Inuyasha, with Kagome's help, lowered himself to the floor. Kagome laid his head on her lap.

"Can you open your eyes just for a second, Inuyasha?"

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to rinse your eyes out," she said.

Inuyasha screwed up his face and opened his eyes just a sliver. Kagome poured the spring water into his ink-filled eyes. Inuyasha winced but allowed the water to carry the ink out of his eyes.

Inuyasha sighed and allowed his head to rest in Kagome's lap. He had never noticed how soft and warm she was, or how nice she smelled...

Kagome shifted. "You can get up now, Inuyasha."

"Kagome," he said, "will you... let me stay like this for a while?"

Kagome stiffened in surprise, but then relaxed. "Sure," she said. "As long as you need to."

Inuyasha smiled. "Thank you," he said. He felt himself falling into sleep. He remembered how Kagome had led him through the forest, and how she had rinsed the stinging ink from his eyes. He asked himself if Kikyo would have done this for him.

_Of course she would, _he thought. _Kikyo loves me._

But Inuyasha could not silence the voice that came from deep inside him.

_No,_ the voice whispered. _No.

* * *

_

And that's Chapter One! We hope you liked it.

Kaori: We've been straining our minds, but we can't remember what the original names of the chapters were. So we're just going to make it up again.

Come back for Chapter Two, in which Sango will say, "Shippou, how long have you been in that tree?"

Read and review! Thank you!


	2. I Won't Leave You Behind

Konnichi wa! Ichigo here.

Kaori: We are very frustrated by the apparent disappearance of inuyasha. net. If you have any idea what happened to it, please tell us. Because if it still exists and has simply moved to a different URL, we would very much like to know what it is.

But anyway, here's Chapter 2.

Kaori: Just because we have Inuyasha chained up in our closet doesn't mean we own him.

* * *

Inuyasha woke but did not open his eyes. Kagome was absentmindedly stroking his hair. As she did this, she sang quietly. Her voice was enchanting. Her words were melancholy, and the tune was soft and haunting. Inuyasha pretended he was still asleep.

"The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree  
Sing all a green willow:  
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,  
Sing willow, willow, willow."

"What song is that?" Inuyasha asked.

"Oh! I didn't realize you were awake. It's a song from Othello. It's a play by William Shakespeare."

"Who?"

"Shakespeare. He was the greatest poet and playwright of all time." Kagome thought. "What year is it? I don't know if he's even been born yet in this time."

"You know, Kagome," he said, opening his eyes. "I..." But he faltered. His eyes were open, but he saw nothing.

"Yes?" she said, smoothing his hair.

"I'm... I'm blind," he said.

"What?" Kagome looked into Inuyasha's eyes. They were clouded over with a milky white film.

_No!_ A voice inside her screamed. She grabbed Inuyasha and held him to her, not caring that his face was pressed into her breasts.

_Whoa,_ Inuyasha thought. _Where did that come from?_

Kagome released him and gently rested his head on the floor. "I'm going to find Sango and Miroku," she said. Inuyasha heard the rustle of the door and she was gone.

Inuyasha lay still, not seeing, hardly breathing. But his heart throbbed in his chest. _Am I really feeling this way about Kagome? _he wondered.

Sango and Miroku were sitting under a tree. They looked up as Kagome approached.

"How is he?" Sango asked.

"He-" Kagome took a deep breath. "He's blind," she managed to say.

Miroku sighed. "I was afraid of that."

Kagome looked around. "Where's Shippou?"

Miroku furrowed his brow. "You know, I haven't seen him. I thought he was inside with you."

A small head popped out of the tree. "Ta daa! I'm up here!"

"Shippou, how long have you been in that tree?" Sango said angrily.

"Long enough to see _everything_," said Shippou gleefully.

"Shippou, I'm going to kill you!" Sango screamed. Shippou giggled and ran off into the forest.

"What were you two doing, anyway?" Kagome asked. Sango blushed. Miroku turned away and whistled a bit. "And Shippou was watching? Good grief!"

"As far as Inuyasha goes," Miroku said, changing the subject. "I think we should take him to Kaede. She may be able to help him." Sango nodded in agreement.

"I'll tell him the plans," Kagome said.

Inuyasha heard the rustle of the door. "It's me," Kagome said. "I'm alone." She sat down beside him. "Miroku thinks we should ask Kaede. She may know some kind of cure or treatment or something."

"What was all the yelling about?"

Kagome laughed. "Miroku and Sango were doing something under a tree that Shippou was hiding in."

"What were they doing?"

"Oh, I don't know for sure," Kagome said, "but when I asked them they both blushed and kind of looked away."

"And Shippou saw everything? Ha!" Inuyasha gave a hearty laugh. He sat up. He reached out and his hands found her shoulders. "We're alone?"

"Yes," Kagome said, a little confused.

"Good," Inuyasha said. He came a little closer. His hands slid gently down her arms and caught her hands. "I can't help you collect the jewel shards anymore. I'll just be in the way."

_That's not true!_ She screamed inside. Her heart pounded as she gazed into his murky eyes. There was something inside him, in his movements, in his voice, that didn't feel quite right. She didn't know what it was, but it scared her.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, his voice breaking, "how am I supposed to protect you if I can't see?"

_So that's what this is all about,_ Kagome thought.

Inuyasha twitched his ears a few times. "You sure we're alone?"

"Yes!" Kagome said. "Of course we are."

Inuyasha's hands slid up her arms. They brushed her neck and rested on her face.

"Inuyasha," she said, shifting uneasily, "why are you touching me so much?"

"Because I can't see where you are," he replied.

Kagome was a little disappointed. She had half hoped he would give her a more romantic answer.

"Kagome, I want you to listen to me. I'll go to see Kaede. If she can help me, that's great, but if she can't..."

Kagome knew what he was thinking. "No, Inuyasha!" she said.

"But..."

"I said no! I'm not leaving you behind."

"But I'll just be in the way."

"I said no, Inuyasha! We'll keep looking for a cure, no matter how long it takes."

Inuyasha felt as though some kind of barrier was being strained deep inside him. He knew that the dam that suppressed his feelings soon would break and everything that he had been holding back would come flooding out. "Would you really do that?" he asked, trying to appear skeptical. But Kagome wasn't fooled.

"Of course I would," she said. Her voice was soft and tender. It was all too much. The wall broke. He collapsed onto her as a wave of emotion engulfed him. Love, hatred, pain, fear, desire all coursed through his veins like a poison.

"Are you crying?" Kagome asked.

"No."

"Then why is my skirt wet?" Inuyasha had no answer. "It's okay. I won't tell anyone." She gently wrapped two warm, comforting arms around his shoulders. Inuyasha continued to sob into her knees. "Poor puppy," she murmured. She rocked him in her arms as she hummed the willow song.

* * *

And that's Chapter 2. Poor Inu! I love him so much.

Kaori: Ugh.

You love him too, Kaori! Don't try to deny it!

Kaori: Come back for Chapter 3, in which Kagome will say: "You're worse than Miroku!"

Read and review! Thank you!


	3. The Strangers

Hey, there! We're back with Chapter 3.

Kaori: And we don't own Inuyasha.

No, we don't. Sadly.

* * *

"Kagome?" Sango's voice said. Kagome opened one eye. Sango was bent over, looking her in the face. "Do you have any bandages? Miroku has this nasty cut in his thigh and he didn't tell me about it."

"Yeah," Kagome yawned. She moved Inuyasha to the floor and stood up. "Now, where's my backpack? Oh, there it is."

"You two are awfully cuddly today," Sango said smugly.

"Oh, yeah? Look who's talking."

Sango flushed red. "Hey, you don't know what happened."

"I've got a pretty good idea." Kagome tossed a box of gauze bandages to Sango. "I'm not even going to ask how you found this cut."

Sango blushed even deeper and left the hut.

"I hope she doesn't enjoy herself too much," Inuyasha said. Kagome jumped.

"You are way too good at pretending to be asleep."

"It's not like I can help it. And it's not like I can be a Peeping Tom or anything if I can't see!"

"That's not what I mean," Kagome said.

The rustle of the door a few minutes later marked Miroku's entrance. "We should get going," he said. "If we make good time, we should reach Kaede's home before nightfall."

"Right." Inuyasha sat up. Slowly and carefully, he stood.

"No, don't stand up there!" Kagome said.

"Ow!" Inuyasha struck his head on the low ceiling.

Kagome gingerly took his arm and led him outside.

"Now, listen," Sango said as they left the hut. "We must act as if nothing is wrong. If a demon should learn of Inuyasha's weakness, it could be disastrous." Everyone nodded in agreement. So long as the secret was kept, the journey to Kaede's village should be easy.

They made their way through the forest. Their progress was a little slow because Inuyasha was having trouble keeping his balance on the uneven forest floor.

Inuyasha sniffed the air. "We're being followed," he said.

Sango bristled. "Is it a demon?"

Inuyasha sniffed the air again. "I don't know," he said. The scent carried on the breeze was foreign to him. It was definitely not a human scent, but exactly what it was Inuyasha could not say. It had the sweet bite of a demon's scent, but it carried with it something else.

"Let's be on our guard," Miroku said. Sango shifted her heavy weapon so that she could draw it quickly if need be.

A tree branch rustled behind them. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he cursed his sightless eyes. The travellers moved onward. Their pursuer followed.

The warm light of the early afternoon shone golden through the green leaves. Inuyasha felt the soft glow of the sunlight on his skin. It reminded him of Kagome.

The winds shifted. The breeze rustled the trees and brought a fresh scent to Inuyasha's nose.

"There's another one!" He shouted. "They have us surrounded!"

Two voices rang out in laughter. It was not the triumphant and over-confident laugh of one who has caught his prey, but rather that of a child who has been found in a game of hide and seek.

"Show yourselves!" Miroku shouted. The laughter was heard again. There was another rustle of the tree branches and two soft thumps as two people landed on the ground.

"Good afternoon," said a female voice. "I trust your journey has been a smooth one?"

"Don't come any closer," Sango snapped.

"Temper, temper, young lady," the voice said again. "We are not here to fight, merely to watch. But it appears that you have caught on to us."

"If you come to us peacefully, why is your companion so heavily armed?" Miroku asked.

"That is merely a precaution."

"Why were you following us?" Shippou piped up.

"My friend and I," said a husky male voice, "find you most interesting."

"Oh, yeah?" Inuyasha said, looking in the direction of the voices. "What's so interesting about us?"

"We couldn't help noticing," the man said. "That you killed the giant squid."

Inuyasha drew the Tetsusaiga. Kagome released his arm and backed away.

"He who is first to draw his weapon is the one to begin the battle," the male voice said. There was a loud ringing thud and the creak of wood breaking.

"Sango!" Miroku shoved Sango out of the way of the falling tree. He struck the ground and the heavy trunk fell onto his left leg. His cry echoed in Inuyasha's ears, but the scent and sound of fire soon replaced it.

"No, Hanshi!" the male voice said. "You would burn this forest to the ground!" The sound diminished and a trace of smoke wandered through the air.

"As you wish," the one called Hanshi said. "I shall slay them with my bare hands." Something shot past Inuyasha and struck the ground behind him with a resounding crack. "Aren't you going to defend yourself, my dear hanyou?" There was another crack and Inuyasha felt the ground beside him give way.

"I grow bored," Hanshi said. "Come, Kikisemaru. Let us depart." There was a sudden howl of wind and the two stalkers were gone. Kagome sighed.

"Inuyasha, do you want me to sheath Tetsusaiga?" Kagome asked.

"Please," he said.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Please? Since when do you say, 'please?'"

"Feh."

"Miroku!" Sango's voice was saying. "Miroku, can you hear me? Miroku!"

"Miroku's leg is caught under a tree," Kagome explained. "Maybe you can hold it up long enough for us to pull him free." Kagome led him to the tree and told him where to lift it. Inuyasha heaved the end of the tree off the ground while Sango and Kagome pulled the unconscious monk from under it.

"He's out," Sango said. Inuyasha let the tree down with a grunt.

* * *

"I see." Kaede set down her cup. She looked at them gravely. "Miroku's leg will heal with time, but as for Inuyasha..." she looked away. "I'm not sure if there is a cure for his eyes."

There was a loud clatter. Kagome's teacup had slipped out of her hands. Something inside her was crying again. She wanted to sob, scream, cry, swear, but all she said was, "Oh..."

Inuyasha heard the pain in her voice. It hurt him, too.

"Inuyasha's blindness is undoubtedly the work of a curse," Kaede continued. Everyone looked up. "Even if a countercurse exists, it is unlikely that we could find it. This is the work of foreign magic."

"Foreign? How many foreigners are there around here?" Kagome said.

"You know, those two strangers had funny accents," Shippou said.

"Did they, now?" Kaede said.

"We should probably get to sleep," Sango suggested. "It's gotten late."

"Yeah. Are you sleepy, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha was surprised to realize that he was. Kagome stood up and took his hand. She led him into the next room and through it into the next. "There's only one futon," she told him as she helped him to sit down. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"No, I will," Inuyasha said.

"Don't be stubborn." Her tone was harsh. Inuyasha decided to let her have her way. He lay down on the mat and sighed. He heard Kagome's footsteps and looked up, pointless though it was.

"Where are you going?"

"To get my backpack," she said. "I'll be right back." She left and Inuyasha was alone. He suddenly felt empty, lonely, vulnerable. He still hadn't quite recovered from his emotional flood that afternoon.

_Why does my heart ache when I think about you, Kagome?_ Inuyasha sat back up. Did he still love Kikyo?

Kagome's scent filled the room. He heard the sound of fabric rustling.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" He wished he could see.

"I'm changing into my pajamas."

"What?" Inuyasha said, sitting up. "Here, in front of me?"

"Well, you can't see me, so why not?"

Inuyasha blushed, lying down again. It was true that he couldn't see, but he couldn't help imagining. "Kagome," he said, completely inadvertently, "will you sleep with me tonight?"

"What?" Kagome shrieked. "You're worse that Miroku!"

"That's not what I mean!" Inuyasha said frantically, realizing what he had said. "I mean, will you sleep next to me?" He realized that it was still an embarassing question. "Sorry, I - never mind."

"Oh," Kagome said. "I guess so." What harm could it do? If he tried anything she always had her 'sit' incantation.

Inuyasha's ears perked up. "R-really?"

"Why not?" she said. "You're lonely, aren't you?" Inuyasha nodded.

To his utter astonishment, she kissed him on the nose. "Poor puppy." She climbed into bed with him.

"If you try anything..." she warned.

"I won't! I won't!"

"Hmm." Kagome closed her eyes. "Okay."

Inuyasha closed his eyes as well. She was so warm. And she smelled so good. Her pajamas were made of some silky, slippery fabric. A smile fluttered across his lips. He had dreamed of this for a long time.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" Kagome said sleepily. "Don't go anywhere."

"Mmm?"

"Please don't leave us."

Inuyasha was suddenly wide awake. "What do you mean?"

"That woman, Hanshi, I don't know if you realize how close she came to killing you."

"She missed."

"You were lucky."

He laid a hand on her back. "I won't go anywhere. I promise."

But Kagome was asleep.

* * *

"Hanshi."

"Yes?"

"Do you think we succeeded, my dear?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

There's Chapter 3! Hope you liked it. Please read and review!

Kaori: Come back for Chapter 4, in which Shippou will say: "Sango, you've got a mark on your neck."

Thank you!


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